The Roles of Gender and Patient Versus Caregiver Status in Cardiovascular and Affective Responses to an Induced Stress

OBJECTIVE: Adults with cancer and their family caregivers have displayed compromised cardiovascular functioning and elevated psychological distress, yet the independent and synergistic roles of gender and patient-versus-caregiver status in their cardiovascular and affective stress responses are yet to be elucidated. METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer ( n =118, 56 y old, 36% female, 62% Hispanic, 6.5 mo post-diagnosis) and their spousal caregivers ( n =118, 55 y old, 70% female) underwent a stress induction task that is relevant to close relationships and health issues. Cardiovascular-root mean square of the successive differences, heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure- and affective (positive and negative affect, and stress) responses were assessed for their resting, stress reactivity, and recovery patterns. RESULTS: Stress induction was successfully noted in both cardiovascular and affective markers. General linear modeling for repeated measures revealed that the synergistic effects of gender and patient-versus-caregiver status in root mean square of the successive differences, heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and positive affect responses (4.180≤ F ≤8.185, p <.043), with female caregivers showing the most heightened responses. Caregivers reported greater stress reactivity in negative affect than patients ( F =28.046, p <.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the independent and synergistic effects of gender and patient-versus-caregiver roles in cardiovascular stress regulation. The findings also suggest the different ways in which gender shapes cardiovascular and affective phenotypes in stress situations, which may impact the etiology and progression of premature morbidities in this vulnerable population. OSF REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/P5MHU.